Elections in the Philippines are of several types. The president, vice-president, and the senators are elected for a six-year term, while the members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, mayors, vice-mayors, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan, barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan are elected to serve for a three-year term.
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
- Regions are mostly used to organize national services. Of the 17 regions, only one—the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—has an elected government to which the central government has devolved competencies.
- Provinces, independent cities, and one independent municipality (Pateros)
- Component cities and municipalities within a province
- Barangays within a city or municipality
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, commonly known as the Provincial Board, are the legislatures in Philippine provinces. They are the legislative branches of the provinces, and their powers and responsibilities are defined by the Local Government Code of 1991. Along with the provincial governor, the executive branch of the province, they form the province's government.
The Sangguniang Bayan is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Government Code, passed by Congress in 1991.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is the local legislative body of a city government in the Philippines. The name of the legislative body comes from the Filipino words "sanggunian" ("council") – ultimately from the root word "sangguni" – both of Tagalog origins, with the latter word also of Kapampangan and Old Tagalog origins, and "lungsod" ("city") of both Tagalog – but ultimately Bisayan – origins; "city council" is therefore often used as an equivalent term in English or Philippine English. Members of the city council are referred to as "kagawad"; while in mostly but not only predominantly Bisayan-speaking cities, they are called "konsehal" (masc.) and "konsehala" (fem.), or "sehal".
In the Philippines, local government is divided into three levels: provinces and independent cities, component cities and municipalities, and barangays, all of which are collectively known as local government units (LGUs). In some areas, above provinces and independent chartered cities are autonomous regions, such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Some towns and cities remit their revenue to national government and is returned through the national government through a process called internal revenue allotment. Below barangays in some cities and municipalities are sitios and puroks. All of these, with the exception of sitios and puroks, elect their own executives and legislatures. Sitios and puroks are often but not necessarily led by an elected barangay councilor.
The Aklan Provincial Board is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Philippine province of Aklan.
The Bohol Provincial Board is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Philippine province of Bohol.
Barangay elections are elections in the Philippines in the barangays, the smallest of the administrative divisions in the Philippines. Barangays make up cities and municipalities and in turn are made up of sitios and puroks, whose leaders are not elected. Voters of each barangay over 18 years old are eligible to vote for one barangay captain and seven barangay councilors. Together, the barangay captain and barangay councilors make up the Sangguniang Barangay. Voters aged 15 to 30 years old vote in elections for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK): one SK chairperson and seven SK councilors during the same election. The winning SK chairperson serves as a member of the barangay council.
Local elections were held in the Philippines on May 13, 2013, the same day and on the same ballot as national elections. Elected were governors, mayors and council members of Philippine provinces, Philippine cities and Philippine municipalities. Separate elections for barangay officials were held on October.
The local elections of Valencia City was held on May 13, 2013 in conjunction with the Philippine general election. The voters elected several local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, and ten members of the sangguniang panlungsod. Each official is elected publicly to a 3-year term and can be re-elected up to 3 terms in succession.
The Zamboanga City Council is Zamboanga City's Sangguniang Panlungsod or local legislature.
A general election in the Philippines took place on May 9, 2016, for executive and legislative branches for all levels of government – national, provincial, and local, except for the barangay officials.
Barangay elections in the Philippines were held on May 14, 2018. The election elected the Punong Barangay, more commonly known as barangay captains, and members of the Sangguniang Barangay, or barangay council, in 41,948 barangays (villages) throughout the country whose terms start on June 30, 2018. Barangays are the smallest local government unit in the Philippines.
The Leyte Provincial Board is the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Philippine province of Leyte.
The 2019 Philippine general election was conducted on May 13, 2019. A midterm election, those elected therein will take office on June 30, 2019, midway through the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Local elections in the Philippines were held on May 13, 2019. This was conducted together with the 2019 general election for national positions. All elected positions above the barangay (village) level were disputed. The following positions were disputed:
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in the Philippines were held on October 30, 2023. The elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials already and legally began their terms earlier at noon on January 1, 2023, and thus took office as soon as they were proclaimed to have won their respective positions. The barangay is the smallest administrative division in the country.
Local elections in the Philippines took place on May 9, 2022. These were conducted together with the 2022 general election for national positions. All elected positions above the barangay (village) level but below the regional level were disputed. The following 18,180 positions will be disputed:
Local elections in the Philippines will take place on May 12, 2025. These will be conducted together with the 2025 general election for national positions. All elected positions above the barangay level will be contested. The following 18,271 positions will be contested:
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